Abolition of Slavery: Apologise or Not Apologise. Discuss.

[Denny]

I am frankly sick and tired of all these people asking for apologioes all the time. I don't see what the point is in apologising for something I had nothing to do with, I'm not even sure if anybody in my family tree had anything to do with, so it had nothing to do with me, so I think it's senseless in apologising it has no value anyway.

Why don't we get the Mongolians to appologise for Ghengis Khan, The Italians to appologise for the Romans, The Greeks for being Greek!!

I don't agree. What do you mean you've had nothing to do with? Not directly, maybe, but we've all benefitted inadvertently from the legacy of the slave trade. I think this is what the apology is meant to acknowledge.

It does seem to be a silly ritual, on the surface, and it's certainly true that there are countless examples of slavery which don't involve the English slave traders.

However, an apology costs nothing and if it helps to heal wounds then why not do it? What will it cost us? Why prolong the pain unnecessarily for those who are facing the legacy of their ancesteral captivity?

Unless you can give satisfactory answers to all of the above, you fail to make a convincing case and come across as a bit of a brute.

[cykophysh39]

I don't agree. What do you mean you've had nothing to do with? Not directly, maybe, but we've all benefitted inadvertently from the legacy of the slave trade. I think this is what the apology is meant to acknowledge.

It does seem to be a silly ritual, on the surface, and it's certainly true that there are countless examples of slavery which don't involve the English slave traders.

However, an apology costs nothing and if it helps to heal wounds then why not do it? What will it cost us? Why prolong the pain unnecessarily for those who are facing the legacy of their ancesteral captivity?

Unless you can give satisfactory answers to all of the above, you fail to make a convincing case and come across as a bit of a brute.

Ok so where are these supposed inadvertent benefits I am supposed to have had?

My family tree goes back to being Coal Miners in Wales. We've never been landed Gentry

I think it's a mass generalization that the whole British nation benefitted from the Slave trade, when it probably was a small minority. I still don't see a valid reason why an entire majority is expected to make an appology for the actions of a minority.

[DimPrawn]

I don't agree. What do you mean you've had nothing to do with? Not directly, maybe, but we've all benefitted inadvertently from the legacy of the slave trade. I think this is what the apology is meant to acknowledge.

It does seem to be a silly ritual, on the surface, and it's certainly true that there are countless examples of slavery which don't involve the English slave traders.

However, an apology costs nothing and if it helps to heal wounds then why not do it? What will it cost us? Why prolong the pain unnecessarily for those who are facing the legacy of their ancesteral captivity?

Unless you can give satisfactory answers to all of the above, you fail to make a convincing case and come across as a bit of a brute.

Left wing hand wringing.

Should the Norse apologise for raping and pillaging?

What about the Romans? What did they ever do for us?

PC Madness. Pathetic.

[Denny]

Left wing hand wringing.

Should the Norse apologise for raping and pillaging?

What about the Romans? What did they ever do for us?

PC Madness. Pathetic.

I think you are missing the point here....

No one is suggesting that we should scrutinise or analyse the validity of their request and break down exactly what benefits we have had against those we haven't had.

Apologies have, in the main, never been based on genuine respect and acknowledgement of wrongdoing. Instead they've been motivated by personal gain or fear of retribution for not doing it. Same goes for not apologising when we should. It's not that we don't feel responsible for what we know we're to blame for, it's because we don't think the people we are expected to apologise to are worthy of lowering ourselves to that extent.

Is that what you want our black counterparts this day and age to think of us? How small does that make us?

Don't you think that it's possible that the PC brigade would prefer it if we didn't apologise so that they can justify ramming more of their political correctness down our throats because they want to believe that we are all inherently prejudiced and, boy, haven't we just proved it by displaying such ignorance?

Why give into this? What does it cost us to prove them wrong?

Personally, I think it's a simple calculation of cost against benefits. It would certainly cost us more not to apologise than to apologise and if we can do this we can rightfully take our place as decent white human beings who acknowledge the wrongs of the past and help heal some of the hurts of those who feel the apology will help them move on.

Surely you can see the sense in this, without resorting to childish insults about me being some loony left tree hugger?

[cykophysh39]

Nope!

As you have just pointed, appologising just goes and deepens the racial rift.
In your post you made reference to black and white. I don't see it that way.
I classify myself as british, and being british means you can be any colour, race, creed, sexual persuasion, mental capability etc. We have done enough to rectify the mistakes of the past, and by opening up these old wounds and asking for a nation to applogise , is only going to make things worse. The BNP are going to revel in this, because no doubt that bringing this into the public domain,has only strenghtend thier cause.

By these PC lot, brining this out time after time, just adds fuel to the fire, so britain will be sitting on a racial time bomb forever more.

If you think making an appology now is going to make this go away, you're wrong, it starts off with an applogy, it ends up with all our hard earned taxes being used to reimburse!

[mrdonuts]

i dont think oprah winfrey would be where she is today if it werent for the slave trade

[cykophysh39]

i dont think oprah winfrey would be where she is today if it werent for the slave trade

That was really funny!!

[mrdonuts]

this says it all

http://www.worth1000.com/emailthis.asp?entry=274465l

stop complaining and get on with it is what i say

[wendigo100]

Apologise? Utter rubbish - next! Let's move on - how will England do in the cricket world cup?

[Denny]

Nope!
by opening up these old wounds and asking for a nation to applogise , is only going to make things worse. The BNP are going to revel in this, because no doubt that bringing this into the public domain,has only strenghtend thier cause.

!

Opening up old wounds?

The wounds are already open, that's what needs healing, hence the apology.

The BNP are going to revel in this?

What better way to shut these fascist bigots up, except by apologising?

Who said that an apology would lead to compensation? I certainly didn't, nor did I ever condone that this was a necessary step to take. The cost in human life, caused by slavery, far exceeds any amount of money that could be paid and any sum offered would be an insult, as it would suggest that the black life still has a price tag attached to it, even after all this time. An apology, on the other hand, is symbolic of how far we, as a nation have come to put right the wrongs of the past. It's a symbolic, historic gesture that I would not want to see wasted for the sake of petty argument and false national pride.

I fail to see how any decent human being can be opposed, therefore. I can accept indifference, but not opposition.

All of you anti-apologists seem to come across as petty and mean spirited, not to mention selfish, rather than rational and compassionate human beings with a good argument for not apologising.

Assuming, of course, you are rational and compassionate human beings!!